Method and system for fabricating an electrical conductor on a substrate

Abstract

A system for spraying a coating material to a substrate includes an optical sensor that monitors a thickness, a controller that generates a first signal corresponding to an amount of gas propellant to be heated, a second signal corresponding to a temperature to which the gas propellant is to be heated, a third signal corresponding to an amount of a solid powder composition to be mixed with the heated gas, and a fourth signal corresponding to a distance between the nozzle and the substrate, a first regulator that supplies an amount of gas propellant corresponding to the first signal, a heater that heats the gas propellant to the temperature corresponding to the second signal, a second regulator that supplies an amount of solid powder composition corresponding to the third signal, and an actuator that moves the nozzle corresponding to the fourth signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cold spray coated product comprising:
 a substrate; and   an electrical conductor deposited on the substrate by cold spraying, the electrical conductor comprising a copper matrix and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite platelets dispersed in the copper matrix.   
     
     
         2 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the substrate is a metal substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the substrate comprises aluminum. 
     
     
         4 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the substrate comprises titanium. 
     
     
         5 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the substrate comprises steel. 
     
     
         6 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the copper matrix comprises substantially pure copper. 
     
     
         7 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the copper matrix comprises an alloy comprising copper. 
     
     
         8 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the copper matrix has a current density of at least 500 Amps per square centimeter. 
     
     
         9 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the copper matrix comprises about 55 to about 65 percent by weight of the electrical conductor. 
     
     
         10 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 9  wherein the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite platelets comprises about 35 to about 45 percent by weight of the electrical conductor. 
     
     
         11 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite platelets comprise intercalated highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. 
     
     
         12 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the highly oriented pyrolytic graphite platelets comprise bromine intercalated highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. 
     
     
         13 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the electrical conductor has an average thickness within a range of 100 μm to 200 μm. 
     
     
         14 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the electrical conductor has a density in a range of 1.0 to 8.0 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         15 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the electrical conductor has a density in a range of 2.0 to 6.0 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         16 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the electrical conductor has a density in a range of 3.0 to 4.0 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         17 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the electrical conductor has an electrical conductivity in excess of 7×10 7  to S/cm 3 . 
     
     
         18 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the electrical conductor has an electrical conductivity in excess of 1×10 8  to S/cm 3 . 
     
     
         19 . The cold spray coated product of  claim 1  wherein the electrical conductor has an electrical conductivity in excess of 1.4×10 8  to S/cm 3 . 
     
     
         20 . A cold spray coated product comprising:
 a metallic substrate; and   an electrical conductor deposited on the metallic substrate such that the electrical conductor has an average thickness within a range of 100 μm to 200 μm, the electrical conductor comprising a copper matrix and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite platelets dispersed in the copper matrix.